In Hoc Signo Vinces
by Aku Blossom
Summary: In This Sign You Will Conquer. In the beginning, the world was ruled by gods, seeking dominion over Angels and Demons alike. A set of triplets, their origins unknown, were born to change the world forever.


_**In Hoc Signo Vinces**_

_In This Sign You Will Conquer_

Prologue: The Beginning of All Things

Ancient and unyielding. Everlasting and omnipresent. That was the state of all things born from the Immaculate Three. Before the dawn of man, before history even began there were but those great Three: Order, Chaos, and Equilibrium. Eternal and omnipotent, it is in these Three that all began, and in these Three that all would end.

_Modestus..._holy and immortal, righteous and infallible. From Holy _Modestus_ were born those who walk in the light: Angelus. Glorious and beautiful, they were born of perfect virtue, of grand control and temperament. The Angelus were the most righteous of all beings, creations of Creation itself. In the heavenly plain, Elysian_, _they lived, lifted on wings of glorious snow white, naked and humble.

_Turbatio_...holy and immortal, wicked and infallible. From Holy _Turbatio_ were born those who crawl in the darkness: Diabolus. Wretched and hideous, they were creatures of absolute malice, of unquenchable greed and viciousness. The Diabolus were the most terrible of all beings, born of Destruction. They made their home in the twisted, chaotic hole, Pandemonium, horrible creatures to behold and even more awful to suffer.

_Pondera_...holy and immortal, harmonious and infallible. From Holy _Pondera_ were born those who bound both light and darkness: Caelestis. These were the greatest and most powerful of all creatures. Born of their own divine will, the capacity to determine their own purpose. The Caelestis were sovereign over all of the Great Ethereality. Their home was the magnificent world Terra. Here, they made their reign over all they surveyed.

These things, all born of the Great Divine Three, were existence before existence could tell. Here these creatures lived in a perfect cycle. The Angelus sought perfect peace, the Diabolus sought eternal war, and the Caelestis...they sought something even greater.

The Caelestis sought control. The Caelestis sought to become something...more.

* * *

She was nothing special, at least in the grand scheme of the Caelestis. She was, afterall, simply a handmaid to a lesser lord. Her master, even he was little in the grand scheme of things. Mighty Zeus didn't know his name, Great Odin scarcely knew he even existed. But still, he was her master.

Her name was Reya, a simple servant of the Lord Serpidaen. Her blonde hair was neither glorious, like the Angelus, nor was it hideous like the Diabolus. It was rather mundane. She wore what was little more than a cotton dress, even when Terra was beset with frigid snow. Here in the palace of Lord Serpidaen, she was his closest consort. Childish as her lord was, she couldn't help but feel a certain fondness for him.

"Reya...do you remember what we were discussing before?" The two, Lord and servant, were sitting alone in the meeting room of the palace. The lord was sitting at the head of the small round table, his chin resting on his hands. Reya was dutifully cleaning the desk where all of Lord Serpidaen's important messages were stored.

"Hm, Lord Serpidaen?" Serpidaen sighed in frustration, glaring at Reya. Reya turned back, smiling sheepishly at her Lord's obvious irritation.

"Reya...you know I hate it when you don't listen," Reya laughed softly and shook her head, returning to her work.

"Lord Serpidaen...you know I always listen," Serpidaen rolled his eyes and continued to glare at her, "Of course I remember...we were talking about the recent surge in activity both in Elysian and in Pandemonium," Serpidaen's glare faded, replaced by a nervous frown. He nodded; Reya continued scurrying around the room, rearranging the mismatched books and documents on the far shelf.

"I'd be lying if I said I were not worried...we are placed so very, very far from any other kingdom. It's nearly three days journey from here to anywhere worth seeking assistance," Reya cocked her head as she was working, pouting her lips slightly.

"Lord Serpidaen, what exactly are you worried about? Elysian and Pandemonium are of no real concern to us," Serpidaen tapped his fingers on the table, staring out the single, small window on the wall.

"Perhaps not...though the last few reports that happened to pass by were less than hopeful. Thor is reinforcing the defense at the gates of Pandemonium while Athena is increasing patrol at the gates of Elysian. Their actions are...worrisome. Powerful as they are, to be worried doesn't bode well for someone of my position," His voice grew less comfortable as it trailed off. Reya turned to see him. His young face was etched with worry lines, his dark hair haphazardly cut. Reya frowned and walked over to her lord, gently placing a tender hand on his shoulder.

"Lord Serpidaen, there's no need to torture yourself with things out of your control...perhaps you should relax?" Serpidaen didn't turn away from the window. He swallowed and gave a small smile.

"Perhaps, though I've done nothing warranting relaxation," Reya smiled, her hand slipping off his shoulder as he rose to his feet. Her lord was young by comparison to the greater lords, small in both stature and in confidence. Dressed as if ready for battle at anytime, the worry and nervousness that pervaded Lord Serpidaen's every action made him seem vastly older than he truly was.

"My Lord, don't be so negative. You've got the burden of an entire kingdom on your shoulders, it would be the death of a lesser Caelestis," Serpidaen rolled his eyes and smiled at her. He gently kissed her cheek as the two left the musty room.

"I'd argue that you do more ruling than I do...though I can see already you'll disagree with any argument I propose," Reya smiled and walked a few steps behind him, hands clasped behind her back.

"You're beginning to learn...you'd think after all this time, you'd know me better," Serpidaen laughed as they exited into the Central Cloister of the palace.

It was a small palace, for a small kingdom. The Central Cloister acted as both the entrance and the throne room. Through the East Wing laid the Meeting Room—the room served more as a hideaway for Serpidaen than any official purpose—and lesser servants quarters. Through the West Wing laid the rest of the servant and soldier quarters. Finally, through the North Wing, accessible by Serpidaen alone, laid his private quarters. The two passed into the North Wing, the lord not acknowledging the salutes and greetings he got from the guards and servants, while his companion offered them a friendly smile.

"I'll run you a bath, Lord Serpidaen. Try to not think of heavier matters this evening," Serpidaen nodded, unclasping his body armor, letting it fall carelessly to the floor. He unhitched his Divination, a holy weapon born alongside every Lord Caelestis. Serpidaen's Divination was a simple rapier, unbreakable and easily wielded. It offered little in the way of power, particularly in his clumsy hands. The lord sighed and threw it down, sitting on the edge of his bed. He glanced toward the bath, where Reya was now exiting.

"Reya...could you call for Mari and Dalene?" Reya blinked, but smiled at her lord and nodded.

"Of course Lord Serpidaen, I'll retrieve them before I turn in for the night," Serpidaen smiled and nodded, adjourning to the bath Reya had prepared. Reya watched him go, then turned and began to pick up the mess he'd made. Her pleasant smile faded shortly after he had left.

* * *

The next day, Lord Serpidaen came to her with a task, one that he felt he could entrust to no one else. Reya was to gather the favorite flowers of her Lord's favorite concubine. An arduous task no doubt, as the flowers grew only in the furthest reaches of Terra itself. Yet, the Lord promised, the task did offer at least some relief to its difficulty. The flowers grew in the light of the Divine Presence itself. Reya was speechless.

"Lord Serpidaen...are you certain? Will you be fine without me?" She closed her eyes and mentally berated herself for such an arrogant question. She heard her Lord laugh, and opened her eyes to a pleading, smiling face.

"Reya...yes, yes I'll be fine. Please, do this for me..." Reya smiled and nodded.

"Alright...I'll leave immediately," Her Lord smiled and gently squeezed her shoulder before gently kissing her cheek. Reya's heart raced. She returned the smile in earnest.

* * *

The journey was a long one, nearly three months of constant motion. The end result; however, was breathtaking. Reya at last reached the light of the Divine Presence.

"Oh...Holy _Pondera_...Holy _Modestus_...Holy _Turbatio_...I'm not worthy..." Here on the very edge of the world itself, Reya stood in a twisted, warped field of flora. Several miles wide, growing to a pinprick in the depths of the Divine Presence itself, the field was truly a sight to behold. Somehow the Great Three seemed even brighter than she'd heard.

Holy _Turbatio _blazed in a powerful sea of red, a fiery blaze of pure cacophony. Holy _Modestus _pulsed in a wondrous sea of blue, a cool wave of purity. Holy _Pondera_ shone in a bold sea of green, an earthy glow of true balance.

In the middle, in the green light of Holy _Pondera_ grew the fields that Reya was accustomed to. Tall trees, long bladed grass, and beautiful, though not densely spread, flowers. To the left, in the red light of Holy _Turbatio_ was a grim wasteland. Cracked, dead, black ground from which there grew only thin weeds and black roses. To the right, in the blue light of Holy _Modestus, _the field exploded in a sea of flowers of impossible colors and density.

"It's wonderful..." Reya walked through the tall grass, to the flowers growing between the trees in the light of Holy _Pondera_. Biting her lip, she took that time to look up into the Divine Presence. There were...things that had been said of the Divine Presence. That looking into it could grant one great power...great happiness...even grant a single wish. Of course those stories were, just that, stories. Reya smiled and shook her head, managing to tear her eyes away from the sacred lights. She giggled softly.

"I feel like such a child...and in such holy presence, but...I can't resist," As she picked the flowers, Reya closed her eyes.

'_I wish...there was some way to help him...some way to make him...feel the same...'_ Reya gasped and fell backward, staring in horror at the Divine Presence. The Great Three were glistening, glowing brighter and more magnificent than before. A brilliant all encompassing light, of color that Reya couldn't even comprehend, began to shimmer and shine from within the Divine Presence. A great, glistening sea of sparkles rained down and the Divine Presence slowly dimmed back to its original splendor.

"Wh...what was that? Did...did it grant my wish?" Her heart raced at the very prospect of Lord Serpidaen finally seeing how she truly cared for him. A dim shine caught her attention. Reya's breath caught in her throat. Something was moving at the very pinprick of the universe. Looking around cautiously, she walked to that pinpoint, standing just inches away from the Divine Presence. There, lying at the end of the world were three creatures.

One terrible to behold, skin of ruby red, radiating a sickly glow of malevolence. One in silent slumber, with emerald green skin that radiated a harmonious glow. The last, beautiful beyond reason, with sapphire blue skin, the last gave off a soothing glow. Reya stared at the three creatures, gasping as they began to awaken.


End file.
